HB4397 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 16299 AAS 29684 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4397

Introduced 1/14/2026, by Rep. Michael Crawford

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

See Index

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that "school psychologist" means a psychologist who, along with other qualifications, has graduated with a specialist degree, an equivalent degree with the completion of a minimum of 60 graduate semester hours, or a higher degree in school psychology (rather than a master's degree or higher degree in psychology or educational psychology) from an institution of higher learning and has had at least 1,200 clock hours of supervised experience (rather than one school year of full-time supervised experience) in the delivery of school psychological services. Makes changes to provide that school psychological services provided by qualified specialists who hold a Professional Educator License endorsed for school psychology may include, but are not limited to: (1) providing assessments; (2) creating and implementing prevention and intervention services that support student learning; (3) providing mental and behavioral health services; (4) acting as liaisons between public schools and community agencies; (5) evaluating program effectiveness; (6) providing crisis prevention, response, and intervention within the school setting; (7) providing consultation and collaboration; (8) supervising school psychologist interns enrolled in school psychology programs; (9) screening school enrollments to identify children who should be referred for individual study; and (10) developing any other necessary programs and services. Provides that a school psychologist may not provide school psychological services outside of his or her employment to any student in any school district that employs the school psychologist. Makes other changes.

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections 14-1.09 and 14-1.09.1 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/14-1.09) (from Ch. 122, par. 14-1.09)

Sec. 14-1.09. School psychologist. "School psychologist" means a psychologist who meets the following qualifications:

(1) The psychologist:

(A) has graduated with a specialist degree, an equivalent degree with the completion of a minimum of 60 graduate semester hours, master's or a higher degree in school psychology or educational psychology from an institution of higher learning that maintains equipment, courses of study, and standards of scholarship approved by the State Board of Education, has had at least 1,200 clock hours of one school year of full-time supervised experience in the delivery of school psychological services of a character approved by the State Superintendent of Education, at least 600 hours of which were in a school setting, and has such additional qualifications as may be required by the State Board of Education; or

(B) holds a valid Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential.

(2) The psychologist holds a Professional Educator License with a school psychologist endorsement issued pursuant to Section 21B-25 of this Code. Persons so licensed may use the title "school psychologist" and may offer school psychological services which are limited to those services set forth in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 226, Special Education, pertaining to children between the ages of 3 to 21, promulgated by the State Board of Education.

School psychologists may make evaluations, recommendations or interventions regarding the placement of children in educational programs or special education classes. However, a school psychologist shall not provide such services outside his or her employment to any student in the district or districts which employ such school psychologist.

(Source: P.A. 100-750, eff. 8-10-18.)

(105 ILCS 5/14-1.09.1)

Sec. 14-1.09.1. School psychological services.

(a) In the public schools, school psychological services provided by qualified specialists who hold a Professional Educator License endorsed for school psychology issued by the State Board of Education may include, but are not limited to:

(1) providing assessments, including the following:

(A) administering and interpreting (i) administration and interpretation of psychological, and educational, psychoeducational, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral evaluations;

(B) administering universal screenings; and

(C) using various other data-collection methods that (i) identify and address student academic, social, emotional, developmental, mental, and behavioral health needs, (ii) provide information about an individual's eligibility for special educational services, (iii) assess the risk of harm to an individual or to others, and (iv) evaluate the effectiveness of educational services and practices;

(2) creating and implementing prevention and intervention services that support student learning, promote safe learning environments, and address other barriers to learning, including the following: (ii)

(A) developing school-based prevention programs, including violence prevention programs; and

(B) facilitating the delivery of curricula, instructional strategies, and school-wide, group, and individual interventions that support student achievement, student wellness, and student mental and behavioral health;

(3) providing mental and behavioral health services, including the following: (iii)

(A) conducting individual and group counseling with students, parents, and teachers on educational and mental health issues;

(B) developing and implementing school-wide, group, and individual services that promote social-emotional, mental, and behavioral health, as well as pro-social and positive behaviors; and

(C) conducting behavior assessments and interventions;

(4) (iv) acting as liaisons between public schools and community agencies;

(5) (v) evaluating program effectiveness;

(6) (vi) providing crisis prevention, response, and intervention within the school setting;

(7) providing consultation and collaboration, including the following: (vii)

(A) helping teachers, parents, and others involved in the educational process to provide optimum teaching and learning conditions for all students; and

(B) engaging in collaborative problem-solving on an individual or systematic level in order to plan, implement, and evaluate academic, mental health, and behavioral health services, which may include psychoeducation for students, families, school personnel, and other relevant parties;

(8) (viii) supervising school psychologist interns enrolled in school psychology programs that meet the standards established by the State Board of Education; and

(9) (ix) screening of school enrollments to identify children who should be referred for individual study; and

(10) developing any other necessary programs and services, including the following:

(A) designing, implementing, and evaluating safe and supportive learning environments that are educationally and psychologically sound;

(B) acting as a catalyst for educator and family engagement in adaptations and innovations; and

(C) facilitating the psychoeducational development of individual families and groups.

Nothing in this Section prohibits other qualified professionals from providing those services listed for which they are appropriately trained.

(b) The provision of school psychological services may include the promotion of students' strengths, as well as the identification and treatment of mental health disorders and disabilities but may not include the prescription, administration, or monitoring of pharmacological interventions.

(c) A school psychologist may not provide school psychological services outside of his or her employment to any student in any school district that employs the school psychologist.

(Source: P.A. 102-894, eff. 5-20-22.)